Pluggable synchronization clocks, networks, systems and methods related thereto

Abstract

A pluggable synchronization clock comprising: a pluggable transceiver and a system clock synchronization subsystem embodied within the pluggable transceiver. The system clock synchronization subsystem may be adapted to implement a packet based precision time protocol. The system clock synchronization subsystem may be further adapted to include a time stamp unit capable of adding a time stamp to a frame using hardware or software.

1 . A pluggable synchronization clock comprising:
 a pluggable transceiver; and   a system clock synchronization subsystem embodied within the pluggable transceiver.   
     
     
         2 . The pluggable synchronization clock of  claim 1 , wherein the system clock synchronization subsystem is adapted to implement a packet-based precision time protocol. 
     
     
         3 . The pluggable synchronization clock of  claim 2 , wherein the packet based precision time protocol conforms to the IEEE-1588v2 standard. 
     
     
         4 . The pluggable synchronization clock of  claim 1 , wherein the system clock synchronization subsystem is adapted to perform a first portion of the packet based precision time protocol and further adapted to interface with a host system adapted to perform a second portion of the packet based precision time protocol. 
     
     
         5 . The pluggable synchronization clock of  claim 1 , wherein the system clock synchronization subsystem includes a time stamp unit. 
     
     
         6 . The pluggable synchronization clock of  claim 5 , wherein the timestamp unit is adapted to time stamp a frame in hardware. 
     
     
         7 . The pluggable synchronization clock of  claim 5 , wherein the timestamp unit is adapted to time stamp a frame in software. 
     
     
         8 . A pluggable transceiver comprising:
 a system clock synchronization subsystem;   a first interface in communication with the system clock synchronization subsystem and adapted to receive packets from an external network; and   a second interface in communication with the system clock synchronization subsystem and adapted to communicate with a host system.   
     
     
         9 . The pluggable transceiver of  claim 8 , wherein the system clock synchronization subsystem further comprising a time stamp unit. 
     
     
         10 . The pluggable transceiver of  claim 8 , wherein the system clock synchronization subsystem is adapted to process packets that conform with a precision time protocol. 
     
     
         11 . The pluggable transceiver of  claim 10 , wherein the precision time protocol conforms with the IEEE-1588v2 standard. 
     
     
         12 . The pluggable transceiver of  claim 8 , wherein the system clock synchronization subsystem is adapted to perform a portion of a precision time protocol and further adapted to communicate over the second interface with a host adapted to perform a second portion of the precision time protocol. 
     
     
         13 . A method of synchronizing a time of a first clock with a time of a second clock comprising the steps of:
 receiving information about the time of the second clock on a first interface of a pluggable transceiver; and   sending information about the time of the second clock on a second interface of the pluggable transceiver to a host device of the first clock.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of synchronizing the time of the first clock with the time of the second clock. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the host device of the first clock is also the host device of the pluggable transceiver. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a host device of the second clock is also the host device of the pluggable transceiver. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the information about the time of the second clock is adapted to a precision time protocol standard. 
     
     
         18 . A method of synchronizing a time of a device clock with a master clock comprising the steps of:
 receiving packetized information about the time of the master clock from a pluggable transceiver;   calculating a transit time of the packetized information between the master clock and the device clock; and   synchronizing the device clock with the master clock.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the device clock is a component of a wireless base station. 
     
     
         20 . A networking device with a system clock synchronization capability comprising:
 memory;   a processor in communication with the memory;   a system clock in communication with the processor; and   executable instructions residing in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor, wherein the executable instructions are designed to receive clock information from a pluggable transceiver via a host system interface and use the clock information to synchronize the system clock.   
     
     
         21 . The networking device of  claim 20 , wherein the clock information is received in a packet format that is adapted to a precision time protocol standard.